


That One Royalty AU

by notEriX



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe, I'm Bad At Titles, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-19
Updated: 2016-02-24
Packaged: 2018-05-14 23:50:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5763658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notEriX/pseuds/notEriX
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>what it says on the tin.</p><p>This is a word count assignment for my creative writing class. Updates might be a bit odd but they'll definitely be more frequent than my other shit for a while haha</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter one.
> 
> Trigger warnings for a car crash and some blood.

Ed blinked the blood from his eyes and tried to move his limbs. Once he ascertained that everything was in working order, he pushed himself up into a sitting position. He surveyed the broken glass and twisted metal around him and then looked back at the burning wreckage that used to be his car.

Alphonse.

He pulled himself upright and half stumbled, half crawled to the wreck. He peered carefully into the remains of the vehicle, sagging in relief when he realised Al wasn't in it. Then he realised that Al wasn't in the car, and he whipped his head around, searching the area in a panic.

He dragged himself across the road and nearly collapsed when he saw the slumped, unmoving silhouette of his younger brother.

"Alphonse."

Edward sank to his knees and carefully rolled his little brother onto his back. "Alphonse!" Ed's voice was hoarse and shaky. He pressed his fingers to his sibling's neck, searching desperately for a pulse.

"...A-Alphonse?" Ed's voice quivered and his eyes began to water. His fingers pressed harder underneath Al's jaw, and Ed startled when he felt a faint thumping there. The sob that ripped its way free of his throat shook his entire body, and Edward didn't hear the vehicles approaching.

The slam of a car door and the tapping footsteps of a nobleman's highly-valued shoesoles brought Edward's attention back to the present. A female voice protested, but her efforts seemed to be in vain when the man bent over next to Edward.

"Are you alright?" The nobleman's voice was soft, but commanded attention. His features were decidedly foreign, but concern was written across them. Edward looked up into the nobleman's dark eyes and tried unsuccessfully to fight down the sobs he was choking on.

"M-my brother– h-he needs help. P-please–" Distantly, Edward realised he was trembling. A blonde woman stepped up behind the nobleman and muttered something, but he held up a hand to silence her. He searched Edward's expression for a moment, then straightened and held out a hand.

"Please, allow me. Come." Edward took the offered hand, noticing belatedly that he'd probably soiled the man's glove. He looked back at Alphonse, and the nobleman smiled gently and led him away. "Lieutenants Hawkeye and Havoc will retrieve your brother. We will drive to my estate, where both of you will receive medical attention." Ed nodded dumbly and eyed the woman and her colleague warily as they moved Al onto a stretcher and laid him on the floor of the front most automobile. The nobleman led Edward to the rear car. Ed growled threateningly at him when he attempted to help him into the back seat.

As the cars began to move forward, Ed hunched his shoulders and directed his gaze out the window. The nobleman sat across from him, and though his face was blank Ed could tell that the man was assessing whether or not he was a threat. Ed turned his gaze toward the nobleman defiantly. The man raised an amused eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.

"Why're you starin' at me?" Ed grumbled.

The nobleman huffed a laugh. "I'm sorry. I was lost in thought… I don't believe I caught your name?" The last was phrased as a question.

"Ed." Came Edward's short reply.

The nobleman smirked again. "Just 'Ed'? Very well, then. I suppose I should tell you my own name. Lord Roy Mustang, General of the Armies of Amestris." He held out his hand, but dropped it back into his lap when Ed didn't take it. "Why are you treating me with such animosity? I haven't done anything negative to you." Mustang inclined his head.

Ed sighed and shrugged. "I'm just… wary. Of noble types like you. I guess." He started picking at the slightly singed fabric of his pants.

"And why is that?" Mustang questioned.

"Noblemen have always treated Al and I like shit. Even when we were little kids and we didn't understand what was going on. And after our parents died, everything got even worse than it already was, and we ended up out on the street…" Ed paused, realising how much information he'd just divulged. "Shit," he sighed. "Everything's just really bad."

Mustang frowned lightly. "I'm sorry that you've had such... regrettable experiences. You don't have to worry about being mistreated in my household."

Ed shrugged and returned his gaze to the window. "Where are we going, anyway?"

"We were on our way to my estate when we came across you and your brother. We'll be stopping at a hotel later tonight to rest before we finish our journey tomorrow. We should arrive around noon." Ed nodded and leaned his head on the window, then sat back up as something occurred to him.

"Do you have a doctor? Or is Al going to have to go to a hospital?" An anxious expression wrote itself across Ed's face.

Mustang's features softened minutely. "I have a small team of doctors who can help your brother at the estate." Ed let out a breath and sagged against the window once more.

##------##

The two-day journey to Mustang's estate met little incident, and Alphonse was seen by a man that Mustang had called Knox. Knox had told Ed that Al would be okay, and Ed had nearly collapsed from the relief.

The door opened, and Mustang stepped in. "How is he?" he asked. Ed tightened his hold on Al's hand from his seat beside the bed.

"Dr. Knox said that he should wake up any time." Ed shifted in his chair and bit his lip. "Thanks. For takin' us in an' helping Al, I mean." He stared hard at the blankets and tried not to meet Mustang's eye. Mustang opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Ed's gasp as Alphonse's fingers twitched against his own. Al's eyes slowly fluttered open, and Edward grinned down at him.

"Hey, Al." He said softly. He ran the fingers of his left hand over Al's hair to smooth it down. Alphonse smiled slightly at the gesture, and tightened his fingers around Ed's.

"Where are we, Brother?" Al's brow furrowed as he frowned. "We're not in a hospital, are we?" He asked, voice shaking.

"No, Al." Ed was quick to assure his brother. "We're actually in Amestris. A nobleman came across the crash and helped us." It was then that Alphonse saw Mustang, who was standing unassumingly in the corner. Al's eyes widened as Mustang stepped forward and held his hand out.

"It's good to see that you're awake, Alphonse." Mustang murmured. "Lord Roy Mustang, General of the Armies of Amestris." Alphonse shook his hand.

"It's good to meet you, sir. Thank you for taking us in. I know my brother can be a bit rude–"

"Actually, Edward hasn't caused any trouble here. He's mostly stayed in here anyway." Alphonse looked relieved, if a little confused, at Mustang's admission. He turned to Ed with an eyebrow raised questioningly. Ed looked away, suddenly finding the ceiling very interesting.

“I… may or may not be–” he began to speak, but was cut off by his brother.

“An angry little brat?” Alphonse teased. Ed blushed and glared at Al, who laughed.

“Who the hell’re you callin’ so short–”

Alphonse held up a placating hand and smiled at Mustang. “Thank you for taking care of us.”

There was a knock at the door, and a young, dark haired woman poked her head into the room. “Sir, Lieutenant Hawkeye requested you return to your office.” She stated before closing the door. Mustang grimaced briefly before nodding to the brothers.

“I’d best be going. Feel free to come to dinner this evening. Food is generally ready by seven.” He strode out of the room, leaving the brothers to themselves.


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings for a panic attack and some minor violence. Let me know in the comments if you skipped this chapter and need a summary.

In the following five weeks, the Elric brothers settled into a sort of routine at Mustang’s estate. They’d wake up in the mid morning and eat breakfast, then raid Mustang’s library for a few hours before getting hungry, at which point they’d eat lunch. After that they’d read a bit more, and then they’d wander the grounds for a while before returning for dinner. Finally, they all would sit in front of the fire before retiring to bed. After one such day, Edward glanced up from his book to assess Mustang, who was staring blankly at his book and hadn’t turned the page in a while. Alphonse had gone to bed shortly before, leaving them alone in the dimly lit room.

“Hey, Mustang.” He attempted to get the man’s attention, but he only continued staring off into space. Ed frowned and stood up from the couch he’d taken residence on, making his way slowly toward Mustang’s armchair. “Hey,” he tried again, softer this time, “you alright?” He reached out tentatively with his flesh hand, gently touching his fingers to Mustang’s shoulder–

–and suddenly his face was being pressed into the carpet, his automail pressed under him and his flesh wrist wrenched up between his shoulder blades. A heavy weight was on top of him, which he assumed to be Mustang. He relaxed a bit, knowing intuitively that struggling would be useless. The automail was pressing into his ribs a bit, making his position all the more uncomfortable. There was a hand in his hair that was holding him to the floor. “Hey.” He tried once more to get Musang to hear him. “I’m not gonna hurt you, Mustang. It’s alright. You’re not in any danger.” He tried to keep a soothing tone to his voice.

Above him, Mustang’s breath stuttered. He inhaled sharply and jerked away from Edward, disentangling his fingers from the vice grip they had had in the blonde’s hair. He scooted backwards until he was against the wall. Ed sat up slowly, rotating his shoulders and rubbing at his irritated scalp. Mustang’s eyes were wide and terrified, a look that Ed never imagined he’d see on that face. He move forward, wary of another violent outburst. Mustang shrank away from him, curling his body so that his legs were against his chest. He buried his face in his knees, shuddering from the force of the sobs that were attempting to choke their way out of him.

Ed sat down next to him, trying to leave enough room between them that Mustang wouldn’t feel trapped or claustrophobic. He waited a moment before placing his flesh hand, palm up, on the floor between them. Mustang peeked at him with bleary eyes, assessing his intentions, before laying his hand on top of Ed’s. He curled their fingers together, and Mustang pushed his face back against the cloth covering his knees. After nearly half an hour, Mustang raised his face again. His eyes were blotchy, puffy, and reddened. “Thank you.” He whispered hoarsely. Ed simply nodded to indicate his acknowledgement. Mustang tightened his hold on Ed’s fingers briefly before letting go. “I should go to bed.” His voice was low and subdued, and Ed sighed softly before standing up. He offered a hand to Mustang, who accepted and pulled himself up.

“Goodnight,” Edward said to Mustang when they reached the top of the stairs.

“Goodnight, Edward.” Mustang replied softly before entering his bedroom.

##------##

Two awkward days passed, and then Mustang was gone.

Edward saw a maid dart down the hall and followed her. “Coline! Hey, can I ask you something?” She stopped when she heard his voice, turning around and setting her bucket of cleaning supplies on the floor.

“Yes, sir? What can I do for you?”

Ed made a face. “I told you that it's okay to call me ‘Ed’. Anyway, where's Mustang? I haven't seen him all morning.” The maid blinked and tilted her head.

“I’d have thought that his Lordship would tell you,” she said. “He was called away by the military for something. It seemed to be of great importance.”

Edward nodded. “Okay. I wonder what was so urgent?” He muttered the last part under his breath. “Thank you. You can return to your duties.” The maid scurried away. Ed huffed and turned around, heading in the direction of the library. Mustang had given him the key the week prior, after Ed had broken in. Mustang had seemed surprised at the time, but didn’t ask how he was able to get in. He unlocked the door, stepping inside and closing it behind him. Edward made his way over to the desk that Mustang had allowed him to use and sat down, shuffling some papers so that they were in a semblance of a neat stack.

Ed stood and crouched in front of the desk, pulling it out and away from the wall. He felt along the wallpaper for the small seam he’d left behind last time he’d sealed the hole. He raised his head to listen for unwanted visitors, then clapped his hands. A hollow ringing noise sounded off his automail arm, and Ed pressed his palms against the square section of wood that he’d hidden. The panel fell out, and he caught it to place it gently on the floor. Ed reached into the secret niche and pulled out a small sheaf of papers. The pages were littered with complex arrays and alchemical notations. Ed stood and leafed through the papers to find the page that had book references. He was certain that he’d lucked out when he noticed the alchemic section of Mustang’s library. There were a lot of rare and difficult to obtain books that he would only have found in a military library. There were even some that he’d never seen before, though he’d read about them.

He stalked amongst the shelves, checking his reference sheet and pulling down thick tomes when the list called for them. When he’d collected all he’d needed, he returned to the desk and laid out his research. All of the books he’d taken to the desk contained references to the Philosopher’s Stone. He’s also gotten his hands on the research documents belonging to one Doctor Tim Marcoh, who had done research on the Stone during the Ishvallan wars. Ed had been disgusted when he found out just what the Stone was made of. That damned array was etched into his memory now that he’d seen it. His job now was to find a counter array, before it was too late.

Xerxes had nearly fallen once before at the hands of a greedy madman. He wouldn’t let his country be taken from him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to put this out the other day. oops.

23 sat on his cot, rubbing his arm where his master had cut him. The man was an alchemist on the king's payroll, and was experimenting according to the king's instruction. He had used 23's blood in his latest experiment. 67, another slave, burst into the room. "23," he panted. "The Master wants you." 23 stood and followed 67 down a path and into their master's lab. Upon entering, they both bowed. The alchemist narrowed his eyes at 67, who bowed a second time before turning and fleeing. The alchemist then directed his attention to 23, who respectfully didn't meet his master's eyes.

"I am going to take more of your blood, and then you will clean my lab. Do you understand?" 23 nodded, keeping his eyes on the dusty floor. "Good." The alchemist took a blade and cut 23's arm, carefully collecting the blood that seeped from the wound. He bandaged the cut before turning and letting the blood drip slowly into a glass container. Inside was what looked like a small back cloud. 23 picked up a broom to do his chores, sneaking glances at the thing in the flask. The alchemist finished what he was doing and left 23 to his chores. After a while, the thing in the flask _spoke_.

"Young man. Hey! You, there." 23 inhaled sharply and gripped the broom, sitting up from where he'd slumped against the wall.

"Oh, no!" he groaned.

"It's alright," the thing purred. 23 glanced about the room in confusion. "Look. Over here." 23's attention was brought to the flask as he stood.

"Um, yeah?" 23 asked.

"Hey, now. Can't you bring yourself to act a _little_ surprised, or something?" The thing whined.

23 put his hands on his hips, wincing slightly at the wound on his arm. "What do I get for acting surprised?" he questioned.

"Hmmm," the thing mused, "you show no fear. I like that." It paused for a moment, then asked, "What's your name?"

"I'm number 23." he stated, his tone matter-of-fact.

“Not your  _ number _ . I want you to tell me your real name.”

“I’m a slave,” 23 deadpanned. “I don’t have one.”

“A slave? You mean a person without any rights or freedoms? Someone trafficked and dited as a possession?” The thing was curious.

“‘Dited’? What’s that?” 23 asked.

“It’s when a piece of property is transferred to another person,” it replied.

“Huh,” 23 shrugged.

“It seems you’re not all that bright, are you?” The thing taunted.

“Hey! Get out of here!” 23 glared at the thing.

“How could I possibly have been born from someone as  _ stupid _ as you?” It asked, seemingly to itself. 23 frowned in confusion. “You  _ are _ the one who gave me blood, right?” This time, the question was directed at him.

“Ah, I guess so.” 23 lifted up his wounded arm. “He said he was going to use it for an experiment.”

“I exist today because you gave me your blood.” The thing’s voice had a strange quality to it. “Thank you. Let’s see. ‘Number 23’ isn’t going to cut it. I think I’ll give you a name of your own.”

“Give me a name? Who are you?” 23 asked.

“You’ll want a noble-sounding one, right? Let’s see… Theo! Theophrastus Bombastus.”

23 made a face. “That’s too long.”

“Ah, oh yeah. You’re not that smart. Maybe we shouldn’t put too many syllables in it.” The thing was almost condescending.

“Hey, you! I’m plenty smart!”

“Well, how about ‘Van’? Hah, ‘Van Hohenheim’. How does that sound?” The thing sounded pleased with itself.

“So, ‘Van Hohenheim’, huh?” 23 liked the sound of it. “I think I can remember that.”

“It’s spelled- ohh, you don’t know how to read and write, do you?” It asked.

“I don’t  _ need  _ to read and write to do my work."

“Your  _ slave _  work.” the thing said darkly. “Don’t you even  _ want _ freedom? Are you going to live out  _ the rest of your life _ as a  _ slave _ ? Without the rights of a  _ real man _ ?” The newly-named Van Hohenheim gasped. “In that case, you’re no different from me, trapped inside this stuffy flask.” Hohenheim blinked owlishly at the thing. “Let me teach you, Van Hohenheim.”

Hohenheim started. “Hey, what are you?  _ Who _ are you? What do I call you?”

“I’ll tell you what, Van Hohenheim.” the thing grinned, “You can call me the Dwarf in the Flask Homunculus.”

##------##

Mustang returned to the estate three days after his sudden departure. Ed noticed from the moment he saw the general that the man was exhausted. There were dark circles underneath his eyes, and his typically pale skin was an unhealthy shade, even for him. “You look like you got hit by a truck, Mustang. What the hell happened?”

A servant assisted Mustang in shrugging out of his heavy military greatcoat. Mustang frowned at Ed’s comment about his appearance but, instead of rising to the bait, he just sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. “I suppose I do feel a bit worse for wear,” he muttered. “I’m going to go and relax in the library. Say hello to Alphonse for me.” Mustang then turned and started down the hallway to the library. Edward didn’t stop him, instead going in search of his brother. He didn’t end up having to go far, for the younger Elric was in the den.

“Hey, Al.” Edward huffed as he flopped onto the sofa. Alphonse gave a short nod, but didn’t look up from his book. “Mustang just got back,” Ed said. “He says hello.” Alphonse made a humming noise in the back of his throat and continued reading. Shrugging, Ed left the room. He made his way to the library, knocking softly on the door before entering. Scanning the room, he found Mustang slumped in one of the armchairs in front of the fire, a glass of something alcoholic clutched loosely in his right hand. “Hey,” Ed said quietly. Mustang let out a small groan before straightening in his seat.

“Ed,” he acknowledged. He heaved a sigh and leaned back in the armchair.

“What’s wrong that you disappeared for three days?” Ed asked. He plopped down onto the couch. Mustang sighed heavily and rubbed his face.

“It’s all over the newspapers, so there’s no point in keeping it from you.” He spoke quietly. “You’re aware of the State Alchemist Program?” He asked. Ed nodded. “Well, someone has been murdering state alchemists. It almost seems as if they’ve exploded from the inside out. The main suspect has been identified to have a large, X-shaped scar on his forehead. For lack of a better name, we’re calling him ‘Scar’.”

Ed made a thoughtful noise and rubbed his chin. “Y’know, Al and I could help with the investigation. It could be a freelance thing, if your government is allowed to do that.”

“Yes, we’re allowed to hire independent contractors. But you’re not a contractor.” Mustang replied.

Ed smirked. “Your government doesn’t need to know that. We’re talented Xerxean alchemists, and the two of us are probably smarter than your entire military combined. I’m sure they won’t ask too many questions.”

Mustang let out a laugh. “Alright. I’ll contact my superior and see what I can do. If this happens, you’ll be working with a good friend of mine. He’s the head of the military’s Intelligence Division. I think you’ll like him.” Mustang sipped at his drink and relaxed into his seat. “I’ll call my commanding officer tomorrow. After that, it should be about a week before I find out.”

“Alright, Mustang. I can wait a week. I should probably actually  _ ask _ Al, though.” Ed beamed. Mustang huffed his amusement.

“Perhaps.” Mustang paused for a moment, worrying his lower lip between his teeth. “You  _ are _ allowed to call me by my given name. In fact, most of the staff here do. I feel old, having you call me ‘Mustang’ all the time,” he joked. Ed tried to hide his smile, but was seen anyway. “You don’t have to, but it does feel odd that I call you by your first name when you don’t do the same.”  
Ed grinned and took a deep breath to combat the tightening of his chest. “I think I can remember that…  _ Roy _ .” Ed looked up at Roy to find a wide grin stretched across his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry that the first part is so spacey and disjointed. I took the dialogue directly from S4E1 of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

**Author's Note:**

> If anything is too OOC please let me know so I can fix it.
> 
> Thanks!


End file.
